Combined carrying case and supporting stand



J 1942- c. R. SPAULDING 2,270,611

CARRYING CASE AND'SUPPORTING STAND Filed NOV. 25, 1940 COMBINED 1, 7 ,za z.

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 20, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED CARRYING CASE AND SUPPORT- ING STAND Charles R. Spaulding, Newtonville, Mass.

Application November 25, 1940, Serial No. 367,114

2 Claims.

This invention relates to combined carrying cases and supporting stands for sheet music and like material, including books, etc, and its general object is to provide a device for housing and amply protecting the material when not in use, or for holding the same for reading at a convenient inclination on the front of the case against casual removal or displacement, and the case is in the form of an envelope having foldable bracket supporting means associated with the back thereof and a sheet material receiving ledge at its front.

A further object is to provide a combined carrying case and supporting stand, that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and extremely eflicient in operation, use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the device which forms the subject matter of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a rear view thereof, with the supporting means in folded position.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrates the supporting means in extended position for use.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 44 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, with the supporting means in folded position in full and dotted lines, and in extended position in dotted lines.

Figure 5 is a View of the blank from which the carrying case or envelope of the device is made.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a device having a modified form of supporting bracket.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be noted that the carrying case of my device is in the form of an ordinary envelope made from heavy waterproof paper or any other material suitable for the purpose, and includes a front wall I, a rear wall 2, side sealing flaps 3 for holding the blank in envelope formation, and a closure flap 4, the latter being held in closed position by the usual disk and string fastening means 5.

The form of bracket supporting means of Fig ures 1 to 4 includes a cleat like member 6 fixed to the outer face of the rear wall 2, by rivets or the like that extend through the rear wall as well as through a panel I mounted within the envelope to reinforce the same. For that purpose, the panel is made from any suitable stiff material and is shaped to fit the envelope, as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4. The cleat like member 6 is disposed parallel with and midway between the side edges of the envelope and extends from adjacent its lower edge, and while the member 6 is shown as being partially round in cross section, it may be of any suitable cross sectional shape, but in any event is provided with a flat face throughout its length that bears against the rear wall 2.

Mounted for rotation in bores disposed in the ends of the member 6 for a portion of the length thereof are the right angle bent end portions or trunnions 8 of a substantially V-shaped resilient wire bail member 9 which acts to support the case or envelope at a rearward inclination on a table, desk or the like, when the bail member 9 is moved to its extended position for use, at right angles to the envelope, as best shown in 'Figure 3, but when not in use the member 6 is foldable against the rear wall 2 and in either direction from its extended position.

In order to hold the bail member 9 in its respective positions against casual movement, the upper end of the cleat like member 6 has intersecting grooves I0 and H therein, for receiving the upper arm of the member 9, and when the arm is disposed in the groove ID, the member 9 is held in its extended position, and when in the groove II it is held in folded position. Similar grooves may be provided in the lower end of the.

member 6 to provide seats for the lower arm of the member 9.

The apex or outer end portion of the substantially V-shaped bail member 9 is rounded, and one of the arms thereof is preferably longer than the other, to vary the angle of inclination of the case or envelope, it being obvious that the bail member is removable, and when the short arm is disposed lowermost, the envelope is supported at a greater inclination than when the long arm is so disposed.

Fixed along the length of the front wall I in close proximity to the lower edge thereof, by staples or the like I2 is a ledge strip 13 having an outer flange l4 providing a groove l5 for receiving and supporting the sheet material, when the device is in use as a stand, as best shown in Figure 3.

The carrying case or envelope, as well as the ledge strip of the form of Figure 6 are identical to that of the form of Figures 1 to 5, but the supporting bracket of Figure 6 is entirely different as far as structure is concerned and includes a flat rectangular base member [6 that may be made from any suitable stifi material, such for example plywood, and has fabric hinge strips l1 and I8 adhesively or otherwise secured to the front and rear edge portions thereof, the strips I! being secured to the rear wall of the envelope at the bottom thereof and secured to the hinge strip I8 is one edge portion of a flat rectangular brace member l9 adapted to have its upper edge received by an abutment strip 20 riveted or otherwise secured to the rear wall above the longitudinal center thereof, in the form shown. By that construction, it will be obvious that the supporting means of the form of Figure 6 can be readily set up for supporting the envelope at a rearward inclination, or can be folded against the envelope. The base member may have rubber strips 2| secured along the side edges of the bottom thereof to prevent slippage of the device when in set up position, and a rubber foot or the like may be secured to the bail member 9 for the same purpose, as will be apparent.

From the above description and the disclosure in the drawing, it is believed that the use of my device is obvious, but it might be mentioned that when it is desired to carry sheet music or the like, it is placed within the envelope and the supporting means is disposed to folded position, but when the device is used as a stand, the supporting means is extended to position for use, and the sheet material or other contents of the envelope is removed therefrom and placed upon the ledge strip I3, so as to be arranged at a convenient inclination to be read, as Will be apparent.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, pr0- vided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

WhatIclaimis:

1. A combined carrying case and supporting stand for sheet music and like material, comprising an envelope for housing the sheet material and including front and rear walls, a cleat like member secured to the rear wall, a ball member bent to provide trunnions on the ends thereof and mounted in the ends of the cleat like member for swinging movement of the bail member to folded position against the rear wall when not in use or to an extended position at right angles to the rear wall for supporting the envelope in a set up position at a rearward inclination, means for holding the bail member in folded and extended positions, and means for supporting the sheet material against the front face of the front wall when the envelope is in set up position.

2. A combined carrying case and supporting stand for sheet music and like material, comprising an envelope for housing the sheet material and including front and rear walls, a panel within the envelope for reinforcing the same, a cleat like member secured to the rear wall and the panel for disposal parallel with the sideedges of the envelope and midway between the same, a substantially V-shaped bail member having its ends bent to provide trunnions removably mounted in the ends of the cleat like member for swinging movement of the bail member to a folded position against the rear wall when not in use or to an extended position at right angles to the rear wall for supporting the envelope in set up position at a rearward inclination, said bail member having one arm longer than the other for disposal with respect to the cleat like member for adjusting the angle of inclination of the envelope, said cleat like member having right angled disposed intersecting grooves therein for receiving at least one of the arms for holding the bail like member in its respective positions, and a ledge secured to the front wall for supporting the sheet material against the front face of the front wall when the envelope is in set up position.

CHARLES R. SPAULDING. 

